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Weekly Recap: Ferrari, Ford and Porsche power up for Geneva

Monday was Groundhog Day. Tuesday, apparently, was Sports Car Day. The Ferrari 488 GTB, the Ford Focus RS and the Porsche Cayman GT4 all debuted within hours of each other ahead of their rollouts at the Geneva Motor Show. Three sporty machines, three vastly different approaches – and a lot of implications for enthusiasts. That's a day worth repeating. It also illustrates the opportunities automakers see in the performance market, which is expected to grow in the coming years. Ford estimates the segment has expanded 14 percent in Europe and surged 70 percent in North America since 2009. The Detroit Auto Show was evidence of this, and performance cars of every stripe debuted, including the Acura NSX, Ford GT, Alfa Romeo 4C Spider and several others. This isn't a fad. Performance cars aren't going away. The question is why? Stricter CAFE standards are looming in the United States, as are tighter emissions regulations in Europe. And no one expects gas prices to remain low in America. None of this matters for sports cars, and automakers are increasingly using them to elevate their images. That's why Dodge rolled out two 707-horsepower Hellcats last year. It's why Ford has decided to resurrect the GT for road and track. It's why in the depths of bankruptcy, General Motors continued work on the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, not to mention the Z06. "Great brands are made one car at a time," Ford of Europe president Jim Farley said at the reveal of the Focus RS. Still, companies make those cars for different reasons. View 5 Photos Mainstream brands like Ford and Dodge want to build cars that get people talking, excite their bases and drive more potential customers into the showroom. They probably don't buy a Focus RS or a Hellcat, but suddenly the regular Focus hatch looks a bit hotter, and that V6 Charger seems to be just a touch more muscular. The halo of performance is alive and well in the eyes of automakers and their customers. "It's one of the most effective catalysts for ingenuity and innovation," said Joe Bakaj, vice president of product development for Ford of Europe. That also leads to a trickle-down effect. Some of the technologies inevitably make their way to other products. It's hard to think the new all-wheel-drive system in the Focus RS that distributes torque front to rear and side to side won't be used in other vehicles. It's different for Ferrari and Porsche.

Ford reveals new Ranger Wildtrak across the Pacific

Want to get your hands on a new Ranger? Ford doesn't offer it here anymore, so you'll have to travel (or relocate) to somewhere it does. Like Bangkok, Thailand, where it just unveiled the new Ranger Wildtrak. Based on the updated Ranger revealed just a few months ago, the new Wildtrak features a more, shall we say, vibrant design as the flagship of the Ranger range. Dark metallic gray accents the nose, mirrors, door handles, air vents, bed rails, and tail lamps for a sportier, more rugged look. It's also got a contrasting hoop at the junction of cab and bed, rectangular fog lamps, 18-inch alloys, and Wildtrak graphics to set it apart from "lesser" Rangers. And the interior has been enhanced as well with all the upgrades applied to the standard model along with sportier trim. Everything else carries over from the standard model, including the diesel powertrain, full suite of the latest electronic assists, and go-anywhere capability. It'll ford (suitably enough) through water over 31 inches deep, clear nine inches above the ground and tow over 7,700 pounds. If you want to know more, you can scope out all the details in the press release below - or better yet, book a flight across the Pacific and see for yourself. 10 JUN 2558 | BANGKOK, THAILAND FORD UNVEILS THE ULTIMATE NEW RANGER; WILDTRAK READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD WITH BOLD DESIGN, SMART TECHNOLOGY - Aggressive, distinctive design and unique features help new Ranger Wildtrak stand apart from the crowd Striking, modern, car-like interior underscores technological capabilities and adds to premium, sporty feel - Wildtrak boasts full array of smart features, including SYNC 2 connectivity, Lane Keeping Aid, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Alert, Driver Impairment Monitor and Front and Rear Parking Sensors - World-beating capabilities, including robust electronically controlled transfer case, class-leading 800 mm water-wading capability and 230 mm ground clearance ensure new Wildtrak is up for any adventure - Improved ride and powerful, efficient 3.2-liter latest-generation Duratorq diesel engine help to deliver on Ford's fun-to-drive promise The new Ranger Wildtrak, the ultimate model in the Ford Ranger line-up, makes its global debut today, ready to take on the world with a new array of smart technologies and an even bolder look for one of the world's toughest and most capable trucks.

Ford GT dominates Le Mans qualifying, gets slapped with performance adjustment

Fifty years after Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon drove the Ford GT40 to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ford is poised for a historic return to the Circuit de la Sarthe. The new Ford GT took the top two qualifying positions in the LMGTE Pro class, and four of the top five. Ferrari's 488 filled in the rest of the spots in the top seven, the first two from AF Corse. In other words, we're primed for a reboot of the classic Ford-Ferrari feud at this year's race. Or not, as the ACO, which organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, announced sweeping pre-race Balance of Performance (BOP) adjustments this morning that make this year's GT class anybody's race. In LMP1, last year's overall winner Porsche locked up the top two spots with the 919 Hybrid and will lead the entire field at race start. Toyota's two-car factory effort followed with qualifying times 1.004 and 2.170 seconds behind the pole lap. Audi rounds out the manufacturer-backed LMP1 class in fifth and sixth. Full qualifying results can be found here. The storyline for the GT cars is perfect - some say too perfect. Ford's class-leading times came after BOP adjustment to the Corvette Racing C7.R before qualifying. BOP is intended to level the playing field in the class by adjusting power, ballast, and fuel capacity. (Check out this explainer video for more, or even just if you love French accents.) But the process is riddled with unknowns and ripe for accusations of sandbagging. That is, if the Ford cars were intentionally slow in practice they could hope for BOP adjustment to improve their race chances. On the Corvette side, last year's GTE Pro winner went from the top of the field to the bottom, barely improving from practice to qualifying. If you think Le Mans is as rigged at the NBA Playoffs, well, it's not that simple. Because if Ford and Ferrari held back until qualifying - the eighth-place Porsche 911 RSR is three-and-a-half seconds off the class pole time - it was a pretty dumb strategy. This morning, the ACO tried to put things back in order by limiting the boost in the Ford GT's twin-turbo V6 and adding 11 pounds of ballast. Ferrari was also given extra weight but allowed more fuel capacity. The Corvette and Aston Martin teams were both given breaks on their air restrictors, which will allow their engines to make more power. Both Ford and Porsche also received extra fuel capacity.